Morena the Labor Party and the Green Ecologist Party of México approved by majority a reform to the Special Tax Law on Production and Services, with an increase in taxes on soft drinks, oral electrolytes and cigarettes.
The ruling bloc generally approved, with 351 votes, the reform to the IEPS Law that is part of the 2026 economic package. The opposition rejected the ruling due to the increase in taxes on various products with 129 votes.
During the beginning of the discussion in particular, in which 220 modification proposals were analyzed, the legislators accepted a reservation so that drinks with sweeteners have a tax of 1.5 pesos per liter. This occurred after an agreement reached between the Government and the soft drink companies.
The IEPS Law establishes a tax increase from 1.64 pesos in 2025 to 3.08 pesos per liter in 2026 on flavored beverages; concentrates, powders, syrups, essences or extracts of flavors, which when diluted allow obtaining flavored beverages, and syrups or concentrates to prepare flavored beverages that expand in open containers using automatic, electrical or mechanical devices.
The same tax of 3.08 pesos will be imposed on serums that are not made only with four ingredients recommended by the World Health Organization: anhydrous glucose, sodium chloride, potassium chloride and trisodium citrate.
It is planned that, during the analysis of the reserves, Morena and its allies agree to reduce the tax to 1.5 pesos for drinks that contain non-caloric sweeteners.
Cigarettes will also have new taxes that will be applied gradually. In 2026, each one will have an extra fee of 0.85 pesos and by 2030 it will increase to 1.15 pesos.
The tax on games and raffles will go from 30 to 50 percent to discourage their use. Games, bets and raffles on the internet will have a 50 percent tax.
There will also be an 8 percent tax on the sale of video games with violent content not suitable for minors under 18 years of age in physical format, and for services that allow access or download of said video games.
After almost 12 hours of debate, and Morena rejected all the modification proposals presented, the Chamber of Deputies specifically approved the reform to the IEPS Law with 337 votes in favor and 126 against.
Morena and allies defend reform of the IEPS Law
The debate on the reform of the IEPS Law began with Morena the PT and PVEM defending the reform sent by President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Daniel Murguía Lardízabal, Deputy of Morena took the stand to present the reform and highlighted that the federal government hopes to raise 761 billion pesos just from the IEPS tax.
“Among the main objectives of this reform and additions are, first, reducing the consumption of products harmful to health, such as tobacco, sugary drinks and nicotine products through the adjustment of IEPS quotas and rates,” said Murguía.
Another objective, according to the deputy of Morenais “to modernize and expand the tax base by incorporating new products and services to the tax base such as nicotine bags, drinks with sweeteners, games and raffles with digital bets, video games with extreme, violent and adult content.”
José Antonio López Ruiz, legislator of the Labor Party, highlighted that the “healthy taxes” seek to reduce diseases that are related to the consumption of sugary drinks by 7 percent.
“This tax seeks to reduce consumption by 7 percent, but seeks to raise 41 billion pesos, resources that will be allocated entirely to health, prevention and medical care programs and we are already seeing this with Treasury officials,” said López Ruiz on behalf of his party.
Héctor Pedroza Jiménez, deputy of the PVEM, also came out in defense of the ruling, pointing out that “the objective is to collect with purpose, that is, to generate a tax that can be channeled towards preventive programs, healthy eating campaigns and the strengthening of the public health system.”
Opposition criticizes new taxes
Opposition parties questioned the ruling due to the increase in taxes that people will have to pay when purchasing various products.
Patricia Flores Elizondo, deputy of the Citizen Movement, criticized Morena for saying that it will allocate IEPS taxes to the health sector, but this is not reflected in many greater resources for hospitals.
“With all these taxes, the government hopes to collect more than 270 billion pesos next year. But where does that money go? To the same bag as always, current spending, programs without clear rules and works that do not pass the magnifying glass of transparency,” said Elizondo from the stands.
Víctor Samuel Palma, Deputy of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, questioned the impact that the new taxes will have on the pockets of Mexicans.
“The inevitable result will be an increase in prices that will increase the heavy economic crisis in which many Mexican families live who see how their income is not enough to cover even the basics,” said Palma.
Paulo Gonzalo Martínez López, member of the National Action Party, joined this criticism due to the impact that the population will have.
“In the greatest hypocrisy of Morena They always go around saying that the poor come first. But this increase directly hits the poor, those who have the least, it directly hits the families who buy a sachet to make flavored water at meal time, the stores that support a home and the workers,” he noted.
Source: from Noroeste Nacional on 2025-10-17 08:30:00
